Sound and Fury
by Walter Kovacs
Summary: A new force seizes power in Neo Arcadia, marking the start of troubles for all the major players and providing Zero with a slightly different type of enemy. Post Zero 3 AU.
1. Chapter 1

Sound and Fury:

Chapter One: Unexpected Arrivals

_September 23, 22XX_

_Five days following the destruction of the war reploid known as "Omega"_

The aging doctor, clad in his usual robes, looked up from the table at the monitor above. His eyes were bloodshot, hands dirty and cracked from hours of toil on the mechanoid on the table. He took a moment to observe the data on display, and then promptly threw his welding tool against the far wall in a rather uncharacteristic loss of physical control. He was not a man prone to violent fits of anger, the type usually associated with 'mad scientists', though this may be due to the fact that not many of his plans had met with such complete and utter failure on such a level before. Yes, there was the initial incident involving X, Zero, Omega and the doctor's own exile from the metropolis that is Neo Arcadia, but that was more a set back – an inconvenience – rather than an outright defeat. At the time, Omega was still functioning, if a bit damaged, and both the reploid and the doctor were simply forced to make themselves unseen for a time. Despite what those humans had done to his body in the name of "justice", there was still an ever-present chance for a return as long as the Dark Elf remained intact, albeit imprisoned. All he had needed was time, enough time to pass for that naïve fool X to grow complacent with victory and lower his defenses, allowing for a surprise attack through which the doctor could reclaim that which was rightfully his.

And time had shown itself to be on his side – X had been disposed of, first via his 'coma' which sealed away the Dark Elf, and then when the reploid Elpizo destroyed that physical shell and freed the Elf from her long imprisonment in the hopes of using her power to crush Neo Arcadia and its human population. The thought of Zero looking on in horror as the body of his best friend was reduced to nothing more than atoms brought a warm feeling to the doctor's heart. But then, the suffering of his enemies always had that effect, which was partly why the doctor enjoyed gloating so much – rubbing his success in the faces of his enemies was always so much fun as to be criminal. Luckily, he did not overly concern himself with laws. At least, he did not use to. Perhaps it was somewhat ironic – the laws that he had been banished for violating now allowed him control over the city that had denounced him as a madman and monster. Best of all, he had used the love that the human cattle had for X to accomplish it! Wherever his old enemy was, floating among the ethereal realms that composed cyberspace, the doctor sincerely hoped the former Maverick Hunter realized that.

Copy X…, it had not been easy, putting him back together after the job Zero had done dismembering him. Warping the nearly dead remnants out of the orbiting platform that the copy had battled Zero in was tricky, and required precise timing so as not to alert Zero, but he had pulled it off by waiting until the very last second before the self-destruct reduced the structure to base molecules. And then, the doctor had waited. A whole year had passed before the time had come to make his move for control of humanity and the reploids. Which came back to the reason that Dr. Weil was now so frustrated, enough that he could lose control to the point that he would commit so pathetic and childish an action as throwing a tool against a wall in frustration. It was simply aggravating beyond all comprehension – all that waiting, all that planning, all that work – had now disappeared down the proverbial drain. Copy X had been destroyed yet again – yes, he had planned that, but would it have been too much to ask that he take Zero with him? Omega had also been completely destroyed, and the Dark Elf had been restored to her former status as the Mother Elf, now completely free of his power. Weil had toiled long and hard on the virus used to corrupt her, and now it was as if he had never done a thing.

Really, it was enough to make anyone more than a little upset. What truly made it all the more unbearable was that head been undone by a copy of all things. A mere copy! He had not been surprised when the fake Zero had destroyed Copy X – Zero had always been the stronger of the pair, Omega was proof of that, so why should their copies be any different? What was it X had said – that Zero's "heart" was the same even though the body was not? That was nothing more than the overly idealistic nonsense typical of X. A reploid was its body and nothing more. The notion that they were anything more than slightly intelligent toasters was nothing more than sentimental nonsense.

Yet, Zero had not seen the truth of it, that or he simply did not care, which struck the doctor as the likeliest of the two possibilities. The fake Zero had destroyed the original completely, leaving nothing but the tiniest pieces of particulate matter for Weil to obsess over, as he had been for the past two days. Hours upon hours upon hours, toiling away in his lab high above the skyline of Neo Arcadia, in the tower that formerly housed the Dark Elf. Weil had agonized over the scans he had made of Omega over the years, trying to re – create the bloodthirsty destroyer. Nothing seemed to work and the results of the doctor's labors lay strewn across the worktable before him in a kind of silent mockery. The neural pathways refused to align, basic motor function failed to activate, the microfusion tank did not provide ample power…, it was simply one dead end after another. The past forty – eight hours straight had been spent furiously working at a pace that would have caused most people to drop from exhaustion and now Weil was starting to face the cold, hard truth that Omega could not be rebuilt. Zero's creator, while obviously insane, had done his work quite thoroughly – whatever the means used in the machine's original construction, the final result was a weapon that could not be copied completely.

At best, Weil decided, was the creation of a reploid that, while outwardly resembling Zero, would not contain half as much power. Perhaps if the doctor had access to the original program code, which also provided the source of the infamous Maverick Virus, he could build a perfect replica. Thus, it was now clear that if the current leader of Neo Arcadia wished to crush the Resistance once and for all and secure his place as undisputed ruler of the entire planet, he would have to essentially start from scratch on an all – new project. This, all things considered, was not too daunting of a prospect, since he already had a couple of projects in the works. Construction was just beginning on the Ragnarok weapon, and the resurrection of a recently deceased reploid.

Lost in thought, Dr. Weil almost did not hear the hammering sound coming from a distance. Returning to reality, the robed figure recognized the sound as that of someone – or a group of people, rather – pounding their way into his inner sanctum. This notion produced an immediate reaction, which was one of annoyance. Who in their right mind would disturb the master of Neo Arcadia? Turning to a control panel placed on the wall behind him, Weil attempted to access the security cameras located just outside the entrance. He was greeted by static. This was impossible – _no one_ had the proper authorization to cut him off from his own security system! These systems had been designed for the express purpose of the keeping the leader of Neo Arcadia safe from any possible threat. They could only be accessed from inside the building, and doing so required verification only he could provide.

There was only one possible explanation – the Resistance. They were mounting an assault and managed to install a virus into the network. Weil could not help but chuckle – an attack on the core of Neo Arcadia constituted nothing less than suicide. Even if the tower's internal security were offline, the various drones were not. They functioned off of no one network, instead using various systems tied into the city mainframe that could only be shut down if the entire city itself were to suddenly go dark. Soon, they would descend upon the intruders, annihilating all of them except a particular crimson – armored former Maverick Hunter.

Weil had no doubt that Zero was here. The Resistance was neither stupid nor crazy enough to think that they could attack without him, at least not after their failed attack commanded by that one fool….Elpizo, Weil remembered his name as. Stepping outside his private laboratory, the doctor barked commands at the Pantheon units stationed outside.

"Defend this area! Leave none of the attackers alive!" Yet, the blue robots did nothing. It was as if they did not even register his presence.

"Are you defective, you pieces of junk?! _Defend the area!_"

The doctor's voice grew loud as aggravation and a tiny hint of anxiety mixed together. He was relatively helpless in his current location – he never expected any sort attack to take place here, at least not one he did not have ample time to prepare for. Weil had been so focused on trying to restore Omega that he had not bothered to prepare any other special war machines to act as personal bodyguards. It never occurred to him that there would be a need for it, not here in the very heart of Neo Arcadia. A very loud crash penetrated the walls of his inner sanctum, signaling that the intruders had broken into the main area. Quickly, he tried to activate the security system once again, only to find more static. Weil then attempted to warp out of the area using the generator that was now a part of his body, but to no avail. Somehow, a barrier had been erected over the area that interfered with the matter displacement matrix.

Growing worried, Weil opened a panel on the south wall of his laboratory, revealing a small console. Inputting an emergency sequence that only he and the late Copy X knew about, he opened a passage revealing an escape corridor that housed a private trans server at the other end. The trans servers operated using slightly different mechanics, thus making them safe for human transport, which was a fact the doctor felt very grateful for at the moment.

Hovering faster than most humans could run, Weil felt an intense surge of anger run through every last fiber of his being. He would wreak bloody vengeance upon the Resistance for this, crushing each and every last one of them. And Zero… would either suffer a slow, agonizing death after watching his friends suffer similar fates, or be reduced to nothing more than a lab rat for Weil to experiment on.

The end of the passage was now in sight and the doctor indulged in a bit of self-congratulations for having the foresight to make Copy X set up this back door. It never hurt to be prepared, after all. Once safely away, he would assemble the full might of the Neo Arcadian war machine, plus a few of his personal projects, and annihilate the invaders. After all, one could only expect a negative response after making such an impromptu and unannounced visit. A wide grin spread across his face like a plague as he considered the faces of his future victims, and he was still smiling as he opened the door in front of him….

….and found several plasma rifles pointing in his face.

"You are under arrest, Lord Weil," a smirking officer said.

The doctor found himself so surprised that it took his mind a few minutes to process what was happening. Who were these people? How did they know about this _highly classified_ area of the tower? After the initial surprise wore off, Weil suddenly realized that these were not reploids, but humans – genuine humans dressed in the attire of the long defunct Neo Arcadia Defense Corps. It took him a minute, but he recognized the off – blue uniforms with their high collars and fastening along the left side. Save for the woman who spoke to him, all of them were wearing helmets styled after X's, though they lacked the trademark red crystal and grey line running down the center and black visors covered their entire face.

"This is ridiculous. I am the ruler of Neo Arcadia as confirmed by emergency protocols!" Weil snapped out.

"He's resisting arrest, ma'am," one of the helmeted grunts said.

"Give him a nudge to help him clear his head, then bag him. We're running on a schedule," The red-haired officer responded, clearly enjoying the situation.

Weil's next sensation was as though someone had knocked the world out from under him, and he fell to the ground, clutching his side.

"Yes ma'am," the soldier responded, holding up the taser he had just used on the leader of Neo Arcadia. Weil's last conscious image was that of the weapon rushing down to greet him once more.

* * *

There was a sense of something in the air, Harpuia mused as he stood before the assembled humans. Or perhaps it was blood in the water. His armor repaired and cleaned so that it appeared to shine when the light reflected off of it when viewed from the proper angle. While it was, of course, simply proper conduct when asked to face this particular audience, part of the Guardian hoped that it would leave a positive image in the minds of those before him. Considering the situation he and his fellow Guardians found themselves embroiled in, every little bit helped.

"So you confirm for the record that you did fall into Resistance hands for a period of no less than five days?" asked Elias Swandam, an elderly human male with a thinning white mustache.

"Yes, councilor," the reploid responed, looking up at the human located on the top of the two rows of six.

"Did you undergo any sort of interrogation during this time?" Elias asked.

"No, councilor."

This answer prompted some murmurs among the twelve assembled and none of the sounds generated were pleasant to Harpuia's ears.

"Surely you understand that this is hard for us to believe, Guardian?" This question came from Isadora Gaboriau, a woman of middle – age with brown hair. "You are a high – ranking member of the Neo Arcadian military, with a great deal of knowledge regarding all of our military forces coming at least partially from the many missions you personally headed against Resistance forces. Yet, when they had such a valuable wellspring of knowledge concerning our strengths and weaknesses within their grasp, the Resistance simply patched you up and sent you on your way? This seems highly unlikely."

There were murmurs of agreement to her words, which caused Harpuia to bristle involuntarily. Did they actually think that _he_ of all reploids would lie to such an esteemed body as this?

"My word is my bond, honored councilors. The events happened as I related them to you in my report," Harpuia said, no trace of the irritation he felt creeping into his voice.

"Perhaps it is not your word we should question as much as your ability to recollect these events properly."

That remark came from the cracked voice of Shaw Edalji, his wrinkled face looking down at the Guardian.

"By your own admission, you were inactive and thus unconscious for the entire span of time under discussion. Are you willing to deny the possibility that your neural units were tampered with during your imprisonment?"

"The full diagnostic performed on me upon my return showed no evidence of tampering with my neural processors."

"So you do deny it, then?" The elderly man's tone had an accusatory edge to it. Harpuia stiffened slightly.

"I am only stating what our own repair units reported. The Resistance has never shown itself to be technologically capable of enacting such a subterfuge."

"Just as it never showed itself technologically capable of waltzing in here, past our defenses, defeating the Guardians, and then recruiting six of our own generals to their cause. Yet they did so just over four months ago." The venom in the aged councilor's words was clear to all.

"Councilor, the incident involving the Maverick Elpizo and the Dark Elf-"

"Falls outside the purpose of this inquiry," said Carfax Melas, the youngest and newest member of the Council, who looked directly at Edalji as she spoke. "I would think that all assembled here today would know that."

There was some angry grumbling in response to this rather bold statement, but it appeared that none of the councilors wished to press the issue. Today, at least.

"Guardian Sage Harpuia," the woman continued, "in your opinion, as a loyal member of the Neo Arcadian military for several years, do you think it likely that the Resistance extracted strategic information from you without your knowledge or otherwise performed any neurological operations on your person?"

"No, councilor Melas," Harpuia answered, grateful for the small modicum of respect given.

"Now that we have firmly established that the Guardian was of sound mind after his capture, perhaps it is time we did get to the purpose of this hearing," suggested Einsford Gillette, his face just beginning to show the wear of middle age.

"Yes, a valid suggestion," Councilor Swandam agreed, briefly fingering his white mustache.

"Very well. Six days ago, you summoned the other two remaining Guardians and set yourselves against the acting leader of Neo Arcadia, working alongside a premier Resistance member in the process. These actions could be interpreted as an act of treason." Edalji's eyes never left Harpuia as he spoke.

The reploid had to bite his tongue in order to keep from snapping at the councilor. Surely they could see that Weil was dangerous. The man had been forcibly exiled from Neo Arcadia under threat of death! How could any action taken against him be perceived as anything other than acting in the best interests of Neo Arcadia?

"Guardian Harpuia of the Rekku Army, when did you decide to actively assist the Resistance in an armed assault against the human leader of Neo Arcadia?"

"Councilor, it was never my intention to involve the Resistance in the internal matter of removing Dr. Weil from power."

"So, you admit to making a unilateral decision to remove the leader of Neo Arcadia from power?" Edalji was not going to give Harpuia an inch.

"Weil was clearly setting himself up as the dictator in command of the world. He used Omega to control reploids in exactly the same manner he planned to when he was exiled. These actions were the basis for Weil's expulsion from Neo Arcadia. When the Maverick Zero damaged Omega to the point that Weil's control over all reploids in existence was weakened, I took action to defend Neo Arcadia and uphold the wise judgments set down to ensure its continued preservation and function as humanity's haven against all enemies. Those are the principles I swore to uphold when I became a Guardian, and I will always fight to uphold them while my body still functions."

There was a brief pause after Harpuia finished as the councilors looked to one another and some whispered suggestions. Except for one, whose eyes had never left the wind warrior.

"Noble sentiments, Guardian, but it does not change the fact that you acted against the legitimate human authority without any sort of official sanction. You have not denied this, only offered rationale and excuses." Edalji's voice was cold, almost emotionless. There was another pause as he let the weight of his last statement sink in. Then, the oldest member of the council spoke once more.

"We have heard enough. You are dismissed, Guardian Sage Harpuia. The council will now begin its deliberations. You will be informed of our verdict."

Harpuia bowed, then turned and walked up the steps and into the corridor leading to the outside of the Council Hall. Reaching the door, he stopped for a moment in order to collect himself. After several seconds and a quick mental repetition of the oaths he swore as a Guardian, Harpuia opened the door. As expected, Leviathan and Fefnir were there waiting for him.

"How did it go?" Leviathan asked.

"About as well as could be expected. The council has not viewed our actions with any special favor."

Fefnir growled at that, his short temper at work once again.

"Dammit, we're the _Guardians_! We're the ones who've kept things quiet and fought the Mavericks, just like Master X trained us to! They should be kissin' our asses for getting rid of Weil! The guy was a nut as plain as day!"

"In acting against Weil, we threatened a human – something that reploids are never to do. Our mandate as Guardians is to defend all humans and once we act in contrast to that, we risk opening a door for other reploids to act in defiance of human orders. The Resistance is labeled Maverick precisely because they act in opposition to humanity's will."

"Ha! Come on, Harpuia – that door you're talking about is already wide open! _That's_ why there's an army of Mavericks constantly muckin' things up. Those stuck-up humans in there can't treat us like we're nothing more than drones!" Fefnir argued.

"Yes, they can. Because they are humans and we are reploids. We exist because of them and our function is to serve them. Nothing more."

There was a coldness in Harpuia's voice that neither of the other two Guardians had heard before. Leviathan displayed the same reaction to this as that of a cat watching a mouse arguing with a rat. Fefnir, however, let out a loud grunt of disgust.

"You've always been a suck-up, Harpuia." He lifted his large rifle up to his shoulder. "What we need is to go wreck some Mavericks – remind those losers on the council why _we_ are the Guardians. We bring in a good haul and then everyone will remember why _we_ are the ones in charge of fighting. Remember how they just handed us full control? There hasn't been a human military for years, and why? We're just that good."

"Some new ones want to join in," Leviathan said, looking past both reploids and focusing on the four humans who just entered the room.

All of them were dressed in the uniforms of the Neo Arcadia Defense Corps. Two had the body armor of low-ranking infantry, while the other two were in the dress uniform of high command. The red-haired female on the right showed the markings of a colonel, while the dark-haired man she was flanking bore the rank of Master General, not seen since the Elf Wars.

He was fairly tall – roughly 6"11 according to Harpuia's estimation, clean-shaven with short, black hair, probably not yet forty, but not younger than thirty. He had a determined look on his face, as though he were a predator that just taken down one prey and now moved to another. Noticing the Guardians, he walked over to them and stopped in front of Harpuia.

"Guardian Sage Harpuia, commander of the Rekku Army, am I correct?"

"Yes, and you are?"

"You'll find out soon enough. I merely wanted to meet you fact to face before my meeting with the council."

"The council is in deliberations regarding recent incidents. I doubt they have time to see you."

The general smiled at that remark.

"Oh, I'm well aware of that, Guardian. In fact, 'recent incidents' are the reason they have asked me to address their august body. Now, I must be going. I expect to see more of you in the future."

With that, he turned and entered the corridor leading to the council chamber Harpuia had just been dismissed from. The colonel followed him in, while the two infantrymen stood guard on opposite sides of the door.

"What the hell was that about?!" Fefnir snapped.

"I think we're going to have some new friends to play with soon," Leviathan murmured.

Harpuia said nothing, hoping to hide the fact that his brief meeting with the general left him far more unsettled than the long interrogation by the council.


	2. Chapter 2

Sound and Fury

Chapter Two: On the Job

November 20, 22XX

Two months following the destruction of the war reploid known as 'Omega'.

There were times he felt that, a lifetime ago, he was doing the exact same thing. Other times he felt that, a lifetime ago, he was doing the exact opposite. Whatever the personal feelings the reploid had on the matter, it did not change his current situation. At the moment, he found himself located on the roof of a car of a moving train, with a number of plasma bursts whistling past him as he weaved back and forth, up and down in a strange parody of a dance. Using a calm, calculated sense of precision, the kind that only comes from that unique mixture of natural ability and years of experience, he makes note of the position of his enemies, his own footing and the shaky nature of the train beneath them. With a speed that continues to surprise the most formidable of opponents, he dashes forward, just avoiding a succession of energy blasts, and jumps high, his form briefly becoming a shadow against the glare of the bright morning sun. Then, faster than most could even breathe, a flash of green streaked through the air, neatly slicing the two attackers in half through their mid-sections, their bisected remnants falling over the side of the moving locomotive. Having reached a momentary pause in the seemingly unending onslaught of enemies who would like nothing more than to see him reduced to nothing more than a charred corpse, he deactivates the saber and takes a moment to survey the scene before while mentally reviewing the particulars of the mission he has been tasked with.

He has been called many things during his time upon the earth. Hero, villain, friend, enemy, lover, killer, and many other things screamed in the heat of battle by those who wished him to know the full furor of the hatred that they felt towards him. Yet, of all the titles and monikers that have been assigned to him, one stood as the name used by those who he would call friend, those he would call lover, and those he would call enemy. He was Zero, despite what recent revelations may have prompted him to think. There had been a time not too long ago when he felt unsure of that, having just been awakened by Ceil and unable to recall anything except that which comes to him as naturally as breathing comes to humans – fighting. Even when all knowledge of his identity abandoned him, he knew how to fight, how to destroy. This was fitting, he had eventually decided, since fighting and destroying were the reasons he existed in the first place. The reasons a megalomaniac bent on world conquest created him – to be the perfect weapon, a destroyer capable of bringing nothing but pain and misery into the world.

And yet, he had turned away from that, risen above it, despite a few dark and dangerous moments when it appeared as though he would finally lose control and become that which he has so vehemently fought against – a Maverick. It was amusing to him, when he devoted time to thinking about it. After so many years and so many battles, he _had_ finally become a Maverick, working to disrupt human society in the name of reploid independence. The modifier to this being that humanity was not innocently defending itself from Maverick aggression, but was in fact working to exterminate reploids on a massive scale. For most, it came down to a simple, cruel choice – fight or die. And the deaths could be particularly horrendous, if the stories about what wen on in some the retirement camps are true.

Somewhat ironically, it had been the human who, it could be argued, had caused these troubles for reploids in the first place that stood as the figure to whom the assembled reploids of the world could rally behind as a leader. Someone to keep them together and thusly alive. Knowing the woman as well as he did, Zero knew that for Ciel, it was the only thing she could do when faced with the horrors being committed by her creation – Copy X. By skill, determination and more than a bit of luck, she had pieced together a resistance movement that somehow managed to keep one step ahead of the Neo Arcadian forces sworn to hunt them down. Such was the world Zero found himself fighting in, and there seemed to be no end to the demand for his particular skills. Which ultimately led to his current situation – the Resistance had received word that a supply train inbound to Neo Arcadia would be carrying a number of items useful to the beleaguered reploids – E-Crystals, for the most part, which were still needed to keep things functioning.

There was also the curious mention of some 'special cargo' that was being provided some careful consideration. Naturally, a plan was conceived for Zero to intercept the train and commandeer its supplies. So far, enemy action had been plentiful, but predictable. The usual assortment of pantheon drones mixed with the odd mechaniloids (shotloids, eye cannons and the like). Nothing he had not handled in the past.

Jumping to the next car, Zero noticed some pantheon drones equipped with jet packs flying towards him. They came at him in two pairs, the first rushing in to throw him off guard while the other two remained behind in order to lay down cover fire and prevent Zero from having any room to move. Seconds before colliding with the advancing drones, Zero leapt to the side of the train, grabbing hold of the railing fastened to the top just in time to keep from falling to the ground in a very painful manner. Firing his customized Z-buster wildly in order to keep the drones from getting in any closer, the crimson-armored warrior swung himself back up on to the top of the boxcar, still firing his buster in the general direction of his enemies. There was the low sound of a jetpack racing towards him, the signal that one of the flyers was making another pass. He waited approximately half a second before turning around and, in one swift stroke, neatly severed the approaching drone's head from its shoulders.

Spying one of the drones hovering above him, likely one getting ready to make another swoop, Zero broke into a run and made a flying leap into the air, catching his target by its left leg. Hanging on while the pantheon bobbed up and down in an effort to shake off its unwanted passenger, Zero charged his buster and fired at the drone approaching from his right side, atomizing its upper torso and sending the remnants crashing to the ground. The former Maverick Hunter then activated his saber and swung upwards, bisecting the drone right down the middle.

Landing on the train, Zero saw the remaining drone suspended in the air several feet away from him. The two locked eyes for a brief moment until the Arcadian-built automaton lifted its plasma rifle to fire, but not before Zero had squeezed off a shot from his buster, hitting his opponent square in the forehead, destroying its neural core and causing the body to plummet. His opponents now disposed of, Zero looked ahead and

saw the train was fast approaching a tunnel. With a dash and a jump, he crossed the car he was standing on and dropped down between cars. Breaking the door lock with his saber, he entered just in time to be welcomed by the sight of an energy rod coming down towards his head. The pantheon 'guardian' models numbered roughly seven in all and charged him with their arm weapons raised. Though lacking in long-range abilities, Zero had learned the hard way that the electric clubs lodged in the place of their right hands could hurt.

Moving faster than any human ever could, he used his saber to sever the right arm of the first drone and then delivered a kick that forced it to stumble backwards and fall, tripping the two guardians directly behind it. Zero then let loose a charged buster shot, which smashed through another two drones. Saber at his side, Zero dove forward, slashing apart another guardian and got to his feet behind the mass of pantheons that had greeted him. The two he had knocked down barely a minute ago were now on their feet and all four of the remaining robots charged him, in a neat line right next to each other. A small smile adorning his face, Zero spun with his saber and slashed apart all four attackers with one simple move.

Satisfied, the rebel reploid turned and made his way towards the other end of the car, not even breaking his stride as he shot an eye cannon mounted above the door. Once outside, he saw that the train was no longer in the tunnel and climbed back onto the top of the locomotive. With no enemies visibly barring his path, Zero bounded forward, finally reaching the head of the train. However, there was something a bit off – why was there no opening for someone to get in? Even though all the trains were automated, they still needed maintenance from time to time. Moreover, the back half of the command car had an almost chessboard look to it, as though the panels comprising it were sectioned off somehow.

Before the reploid had time to ponder what lay before him, several of the aforementioned sections opened to reveal an oversized pantheon head, which was about twice Zero's size and had an ocular center that was glowing ominously. Immediately throwing himself to the ground, Zero narrowly missed being vaporized by a large red beam emanating from the head's eye socket. Almost reflexively, the reploid promptly released several shots from his buster, but it was too late – the head had already hidden back behind the walls of the command car.

Zero moved forward cautiously, and found himself greeted by gun turrets that popped out from the opposite sides of the command car the giant head was currently housed in. Quickly jumping back and then zig-zagging left and right, Zero avoided the blasts, two from each turret. Apparently, Neo Arcadia had opted for power over rapid fire. Trying to think of a strategy, Zero saw the head emerge as the sections opened once more. He immediately shot off bursts from his buster, and while they did some damage to their target, it was not nearly enough. The eye cannon let loose another blast, causing Zero to dive off the car and onto the side in order to keep out of the line of fire. Instead of climbing back up, Zero swung to his right and, with a leap of faith, grabbed hold of the gun turret just as it emerged to open fire.

Holding on for dear life, Zero stabbed his saber into the autogun, causing sparks to fly, and giving the reploid a bit of pain as he was forced to hold onto several loose wires and burning materials in order to maintain his grip. Twisting the Z-saber back and forth, up and down, he managed to cut off most of the gun itself while allowing for something to hold onto as the sections moved again to reveal the head once more. For some reason, the designers had neglected to equip the head with the ability to move left or right, perhaps trusting in the gun turrets to handle any threats from either side. Whatever their logic, Zero watched as the head made almost one hundred and eighty degree motions up and down, looking for a target before once more returning to the safety of its metal shell.

The crimson warrior then returned to his work of slashing away at circuitry with his saber before coming to what appeared to be the outer shell of the left side of the giant head. With another several stabbing motions, he managed to get through the armor surrounding the robot's internal mechanisms. Putting his saber away, Zero then let loose a series of shots to the inner workings of the mechanical conductor and train guard, which caused a number of sparks to fly across his face as pieces of metal and circuitry alternated between being melted upon contact with the plasma or simply engaging in minor explosions. Smoke began to emanate from inside and started to blind Zero with its thickness just before some pieces of shrapnel were sent flying towards his face. A series of troubling noises now emanated from inside the oversized head, and a few alarms began to sound. Zero knew he had to move quickly – if the machine exploded this close to the engine it would likely take the rest of the train (and him) with it.

Swinging over to the car couplings, Zero slashed them apart just as the locomotive began to accelerate at a startling pace. As the cars began to slow, Zero watched as the pantheon head emerged and submerged in quick succession, then fired off a blast aimed directly into the sky above before finally exploding in a great ball of flame that left scorch marks on the ground nearby. When the cars came to a halt, the weary warrior spoke into the commlink built into his helmet.

"Operator, this is Zero. Mission accomplished."

"Acknowledged," replied the familiar voice on the other end. "Our shuttles are already en route to your location to pick up the cargo. ETA five minutes. Prepare to return to base."

The air shimmered with the light of a trans server transport, leaving behind fire and destruction, a typical remnant of Zero's presence.

* * *

She made a point of trying to be there every time he left and every time he came back. It was something she felt she had to do, that she owed it to him. Every day it seemed, he he went out and risked his life for them, facing any number of beings that could devastate cities and thoroughly enjoy doing so. Most could not and others would not take the risks. Yet, day in and day out, he continued to do so, never once complaining about the burden she had placed on his shoulders. How could she not be there when he returned from whatever crisis it was this week? He deserved to know that she would never take him for granted, never try to minimize his contributions, never forget him.

This was why Dr. Ciel was currently standing in front of the trans server module located in Command and Control of the Resistance Headquarters. This was why she seemed to be an almost permanent fixture for the room. Sometimes, when the mission was relatively safe and the infinite needs of the Resistance seemed to require her personal attention, she would leave the C and C to try and catch up on her workload. But, she always left specific instructions that she was to be notified the second Zero reported in. There had been a close call, a couple of weeks ago, where she had to run across the base in order to get back. She made it, though, despite elevators that seemed to take an eternity to move and hallways that seemed to go on forever. When he warped in to see her standing there, a little out of breath, Zero has ked her if anything was wrong. She brushed off his question, out of embarrassment more than anything else, and hoped he would not press the issue. He didn't aside from commenting that she needed to get more rest.

Than had been the only time she came close to missing his return, and she felt a bit guilty over it. Zero would tell her not to, remind her than an entire army of reploids looked to her for leadership and safety, and say the shed owed him no special consideration. There was logic in this but…she worried about him. She could not help it. The thought that he might be injured or worse provoked something in her, deep within. When he had disappeared after defeating Copy X, she had been ready to personally lead each and every search and rescue operation needed to find him before Cerveau had talked her out of it. He reminded her that resources were thin and they needed to take advantage of the confusion to finally relocate to the new headquarters.  
When reports came in about a crimson reploid wielding a saber making hit and run attacks against Neo Arcadia, once again she was ready to go out and find him and once again she was talked out of it. It had been Elpizo that time, emphasizing the unlikelihood that she would ever find Zero when the combined armies of Neo Arcadia could not, and that she would only be placing her own life in jeopardy. As before, she had relented, and when a half-dead Zero was found outside the base, she felt both relieved and ashamed. He was finally back where she could help him, but had nearly died getting there. Conflicted, she dived into her work, hoping to finally devise a solution to the energy crisis and thus end the war with Neo Arcadia. She hardly saw the reploid after he returned, aside from a few brief encounters. Then came the disaster that was "Righteous Strike" and soon she was back at her usual spot, waiting for him to come back safe.

"Confirm transport in three…two…one," Rouge said before the air over the trans server shimmered with a familiar light.

"The supply train is secure, with no loss of cargo," Zero said.

"Thank you, Zero. I know it couldn't have been easy," Ciel responded.

"The defenses weren't as plentiful as some of their other supply trains. No war reploids guarding it, just the usual batch of automated defenses and drones."

"I suppose we've been lucky, lately. With the increased number of supplies going into Neo Arcadia, they can't provide full security for all of their transports, making it easier for us to get what we need. Unfortunately…"

"An increase of supplies means that they're likely getting ready for a major offensive," Zero finished. "It was inevitable – Weil wasn't going to simply forget about us and apparently Harpuia hasn't been able to regain control." Ciel nodded in agreement.

"It's odd, though – the lack of word about the Guardians. I wouldn't think that they would just place themselves under Weil's command, nor would he be willing to have them after what happened to Omega." There had been a brief moment, right after Omega's destruction, when Ciel had hoped that the Guardians would defect to the Resistance, or at least make some offer of alliance in order to remove Weil from power. The moment had soon passed.

"Harpuia made his feeling about Weil quite clear, and Leviathan and Fefnir always follow his lead. For them to simply disappear is unsettling, especially considering how close Harpuia was to declaring a truce with us," Zero said, echoing Ciel's thoughts. "Has there been any new information about the situation in Neo Arcadia?" The Resistance leader shook her head.

"Nothing. We've never had very good intelligence resources to begin with, but now Neo Arcadia is in a complete information lockdown. Our listening posts haven't picked up anything aside from the usual entertainment channels, and we still don't have any way of breaking through their jammers. I'm beginning to wonder if Weil has shut down the news outlets altogether."

"I doubt many of the humans would care much about that. Anything that requires actual thought seems beyond them," Zero said in a scornful tone. To him, life was about going out and living, not mindlessly going along with whatever routines that made you feel comfortable.

Ciel would have liked to disagree with the reploid's assessment of the human populace, but recent experience had taught her that he was right. Maybe if they had managed to gather enough evidence condemning Weil, things would be different. However, as things stood, there did not seem to be any human movement to dislodge the doctor. Weil had certainly done an effective job of using Copy X to wipe the record clean.

"I know. It seems unreal at times, that a people could just close their eyes and ignore attempted genocide," Ciel briefly closed her eyes as she said this, as if the shame of an entire species rested on her. Zero, without realizing it, placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't trouble yourself over it, Ciel. What the people in Neo Arcadia do is not your responsibility."

"Thank you," Ciel responded, and lifter her own hand to touch his. It was then that she noticed something troubling.

"Zero – your hands!" The Resistance leader exclaimed, immediately pulling the reploid's hands closer to examine them more closely. They were almost charred black, with his gauntlets appearing ready to crumble apart at a moment's notice.

"It's nothing. I got a little too close when disabling the train's operating system," Zero said nonchalantly, trying to minimize her concern. Ciel, however, was not going to hear any of it, and began looking over the rest of him for any other injuries.

"You're bleeding, too!" Sure enough, there was a gash above his left eye, slowly leaking fluid down the size of his face. Had he been without his helmet, she would have noticed it immediately upon his return, but the cut was situated in just the right position to be obscured by anyone not actively looking for injury. Zero lifted his left hand to the cut.

"Hmm, I did get too close," the reploid said, as though he were describing a particularly boring patch of grass.

"You're going to see Racinolle right now," Ciel said, promptly grabbing his arm and leading Zero out of Command and Control.

"Ciel, it's just a scratch," Zero protested, unaware that the woman leading him by the arm was not paying any attention to his protest. A couple of minutes after the two had left; Rouge addressed her blonde compatriot at the opposite console.

"You'd think he could take a hint by now."

"You'd think."

* * *

A lone figure darted across the empty streets of Neo Arcadia, a trench coat providing protection against the winter cold. While a lack of human presence at such a time of night was usually the norm, the surrounding pathways seemed particularly empty as of late, almost evoking the sense of a ghost town. Of course, the scene had been completely different not four hours earlier, with the greater mass of the populace out and about, seeking some new diversion or release from the stresses of the day. Now, there was a quiet broken only by the footsteps of alone citizen obviously intent on reaching a destination particularly quickly. The figure tried to keep in the shadows, but found it essentially impossible due to the fact that the streetlights were everywhere, exposing every last corner so it could be placed in full view of the world. This was a problem for the lone runner, who knew that being spotted by one of the security patrols would mean the end of her mission. It was fortunate that the patrols operated on strict, routine patterns which never seemed to change, even after recent upheavals. It made getting around easier when one knew where _not_ to be at a particular time.

Soon, after reaching the front pavilion of the Council Hall, the target was in sight. Sage Harpuia of the Guardians was just exiting the building, completely unaware that he was being watched. This was her window of opportunity. Breaking into a run, the figure darted towards the reploid, figuring she had just enough time to reach him before the Pantheons took notice. A small metal device was in her hand, smaller than what she usually used in such a situation, but it would be adequate for the task ahead. Hearing footsteps, Harpuia turned to see the coated figure approaching and braced himself. He should not have bothered, as what happened next took him completely by surprise.

"Guardian Harpuia, my name is Neige. I'm a journalist. Do you have any comment on the communications blackout that's been enforced for almost two months?" She held the recording device out in front of her.

"Such questions should be directed to the Information Bureau, and how did you know I would be here?" Harpuia was more than a little perturbed when answering.

"Are you saying that the Guardians have no authority in regards to this new policy?"

"I already said that questions should be directed to the information bureau."

"So you are not denying that the Guardians have lost authority and are not in command of Neo Arcadia?" Neige continued her questions, not giving the Rekku leader an inch. Harpuia idly wondered how many more humans were going to show themselves as adept at blindsiding him with awkward questions.

"You have five minutes to vacate this area before I have you arrested for violation of curfew," the reploid threatened.

"Fine. See how this goes over once I've written it up. The blackout doesn't apply to printed publications. Before I go, I don't suppose you would mind telling me who actually is in charge if the Guardians aren't?" Neige asked.

Harpuia was about to remind the reporter that he could have any publisher added to the blackout on a whim when they were interrupted by the arrival of a reploid clad in battle armor and carrying a large, military issue plasma rifle. Specially designed, from Harpuia's perspective.

"Is there a problem, Guardian? I could not help but notice from the building," the reploid said.

"No problem, lieutenant. This human was just leaving," Harpuia responded, addressing Neige more than the newcomer. The reporter, however, had her attention focused completely on what was to her a familiar figure.

"….Craft? Is that you?"

"Neige! What are you doing here?"

"You know this woman?" Harpuia asked the other reploid.

"Yes, sir. We met over a year ago when she was writing a story about Neo Arcadian plans for dealing with the Resistance." Craft answered, his attention split between his commanding officer and the woman who had occupied a very important place in his life. If Harpuia detected any trace of the conflicting interests within the reploid, he did not show them.

"Well then, you can escort her off the premises. Now." Harpuia's voice had a tone that made Craft want to get Neige as far away as possible as quickly as possible.

"Yes, sir." Craft said, and saluted the Guardian. Somewhat eager for a excuse to leave, Harpuia returned the salute and flew off into the night, hoping to get a few hours in stasis before tomorrow's obligations.

"Hmph. Lot of nerve that guy has," Neige said.

"What are you doing here at this time of night? You know there's a citywide curfew in effect," Craft scolded, his voice a mix of concern and exasperation.

"Come on, Craft. There's obviously something happening behind the scenes. First X is destroyed by the Mavericks, then Dr. Weil makes a big noise about being in control of Neo Arcadia, promising changes and a 'new order' before disappearing with complete silence from all sources regarding his whereabouts. There hasn't been a single word from him since his first broadcasts. And to top it off, we're suddenly in a communications blackout for over a month! There's some kind of power play going on, I just know it." Neige had a certain excitement in her voice as she answered. Craft recognized it as the type that always appeared when her blood was up.

"Things are…transitory right now, but it's nothing you should worry about. Nothing worth violating curfew over." Craft tried to reassure her. Neige simply narrowed her eyes.

"You know something," she said flatly.

"What are you talking about?" Craft said, realizing he was in trouble.

"I know you, Craft. You wouldn't talk that way unless you knew what was going on." Her eyes locked with his, making the reploid feel very uncomfortable.

"Neige, if I had knowledge of any type relating to this, you know I could not tell you," Craft said.

"I notice that you're not denying that you know what's going on. Lying was never something you enjoyed," she responded.

"No, but I'm not admitting it, either." Craft said, hoping she would let this go. They looked at each other for a few moments before Craft decided to speak again.

"Be patient. Soon, everything will be revealed."

"So you _do_ know something!" the reporter exclaimed.

"All that I am saying is that you should be patient for just another day."

"Why? What's going to happen tomorrow?"

"An announcement, which is more than I should have told you." Craft suddenly felt very grateful for the fact that Harpuia had already left.

Neige turned her back to him for a moment and Craft wondered if she was going to put up a fight over this. He would not be surprised – her fire was one of the things that had brought them together in the first place. One of the longest moments in the reploids life passed before the girl broke the silence.

"All right," she said, turning back to face him. "I'll hold off for one more day. Afterwards, I'll expect to see you."

"You will," Craft replied, a smile creeping onto his face unbidden. He then pressed a few buttons on a wrist communicator and a two – person transport vehicle rolled up. "I should get you back to your home, now."

Neige briefly wondered if she should have made Craft sweat for a little while longer before compromising. She dismissed the thought as she got into the vehicle. Turning to her driver, she said:

"Do you even remember where I live?"

"33 Northwest Apartment building, located on the left side for a full view of the city during sunrise and sunset." Craft responded almost automatically. Neige smiled.

"Nice to see you remember," she said as they pulled away. Both were unaware that their entire exchange had been watched by a woman dressed in the uniform of a colonel in the Neo Arcadian Defense Corps. After two were out of sight, she made a notation for a later report, then re-entered the council building.


	3. Chapter 3

Sound and Fury

Chapter Three: Pronouncements

_He was nowhere and everywhere, neither alive nor dead. A strange, indescribable sensation filled his very essence. Every so often, he would try to reach out and touch the shimmering reality that surrounded him, only to realize that he had no hands, no arms, no body. It was as though he was experiencing an entirely new kind of phantom limb syndrome. Feeling the need to stretch his arms or scratch an itch only to find it impossible since there was no physical him. Instead, there was…something else. Something quite unlike anything else on the planet. Of the few who knew of his existence, some called him a Cyber-Elf. Yet, he was as unlike Cyber-Elves as he was other reploids in the days before his current situation. He had been so many things over his long lifespan, but one constant remained – his sense of identity. He was still X, with all that name entailed. However, he was no longer the mighty warrior who felled Mavericks capable of destroying entire cities within minutes. Now, he was little more than a floating mass of energy, struggling to keep itself together. Soon, very soon, he would have to let go and embrace the long night that waited for him. There did not seem to be anything left to tie him to this world – the copy that had committed genocide using his visage was nothing more than scrap. Omega, the lingering threat, was also gone and the humans and reploids of the world were protected by his oldest and best friend. Everything appeared ready for him to finally step off the stage of life, his role at an end._

_And yet…and yet…_

_Something held him back. Whatever it was that prompted this defied logical explanation. It was best described as a feeling. The kind of feeling that could only come to someone who had spent over a century fighting in the deadliest battles ever recorded by history. Deep inside his being, he knew that leaving now would be a mistake, that he had one last obligation to meet before he could finally rest. This feeling was especially hard to bear as he desperately wanted to rest. Life had exacted a massive toll from him, and there was a strong desire on his part to finally put an end to it. Glory through battle and death was never something he wanted, but in the end, that seemed to be his lasting contribution to the world. Even his great city had become a twisted nightmare of its original purpose, a hungry beast feeding on his mechanical brethren, instead of a sanctuary where humans and reploids could finally live together without hatred or fear._

_And so, he held on, clinging to the Mother Elf, of all beings. She who he had once sacrificed his own body to imprison was now his only means of continued life. Had he a mouth, X would have smiled at the thought. Sensing his thoughts, the Mother Elf spoke to him through the strange bond that now connected them._

"What is it?" _She asked without actually speaking._

"I can sense something. A change. Events will soon come to a resolution, be it for good or ill.

"This is why you stay?"

"Yes. After this, I will have to leave."

_The Elf did not respond, instead simply letting X feel her sorrow through their bond. She had come to enjoy his presence. The light he gave off comforted her, a sensation she valued after the years she spent in darkness. She would miss him._

"Everything must come to an end. Even me. My time passed long ago. I only hope to leave behind a world with hope for the future."

"It has that," _she responded. A feeling of a smile passed to her from X._

"Yes, I know. But he will still need my help. I can't abandon my friend just yet. Not before the final storm comes."

_Again, the Mother Elf did not respond, instead continuing to bathe him in her own light, hoping to give him the strength necessary for what lay ahead._

000

Zero's first sensation upon awakening was one of numbness, emanating from his hands. This was no doubt due to the examination performed after his return yesterday. When Ciel had dragged him to the medlab, Racinolle promptly scolded him about his lack of common sense.

"Really," she had said, "how difficult is it to keep your hands away from overheated materials?"

He had wanted to respond that hanging from the side of a train that was actively trying to kill you made one desperate for any hand hold available, but decided against it. Not only would Ciel have taken her side, but the simple fact was that trying to argue with the Resistance's chief medic over health habits was like trying to convince Signas – you were just wasting time.

At least, Zero thought that was true of the former Maverick Hunter commander. His memory still gave him trouble from time to time. A great deal of his desert exodus involved attempts to recall memories of his former life. Simple things such as names, faces, voices and more seemed to taunt him with knowledge hidden just out of view.

After rejoining the Resistance, he had convinced himself that most of those memories had been recovered, allowing for a reasonably accurate assessment of who he was. He might not remember Dr. Cain's birthday, but the reploid certainly did remember meeting the old crank for the first time. That interesting experience which only comes when one awakens in an unfamiliar lab with no memory of his life up to that point and being greeted by a man whose only motive was a genuine desire to help. He missed that man a great deal, owing the human far more than he had ever been able to repay.

Zero grunted as he rolled off of his cot, briefly reminiscing about the relative clarity that came with re-activation after a shutdown period in a stasis capsule, versus the comparative grogginess that came with a manual shutdown. Stasis capsules were another thing he missed, or at least his perception of what he thought were correct recollections of stasis capsules.

It aggravated him that memory loss seemed to be a recurring theme in his life. Not only did it lead to a great deal of unnecessary personal drama, it opened the door for any number of unpleasant surprises. His lack of memory regarding his own creation was something Sigma used to taunt and manipulate him for years and now Zero faced a similar situation regarding Weil. Before the reappearance of Omega, Zero felt certain that he was in possession of the truly vital memories regarding his life experiences. That comforting illusion was promptly destroyed once Weil revealed that Zero's current body was a copy and Omega was actually the original. This, combined with the Dark Elf's recognition of him, meant that an entire segment of his life – and a very important one at that – was missing. Worse, the only beings that knew the truth about those mysterious events were either a madman sworn to see the crimson reploid destroyed or a not quite dead, not quite alive energy form of the person who had been his best friend, but now had the aggravating habit of speaking in cryptic sentences on the infrequent occasions he made contact.

Thinking of his fellow former Maverick Hunter brought a grimace to Zero's face as he put on his armor. The last time he had seen X, the blue spirit said that he would have to fade away soon, which left a hole in the reploid's figurative gut. X had always been the constant in an otherwise unsteady world. Whenever he fought the Mavericks, in the back of Zero's mind was always the complete certainty that, even if he fell, X would carry on and make the world safe. And fall Zero did, _twice_, while X had indeed been the one to carry on. The thought of a world where X was truly gone intimidated him on a deep level, but the resistance fighter was determined to justify the faith his friend had placed in him.

Of course, it wasn't only X that had placed a great deal of trust in the reploid. The fact that he numbered among the few to have his own quarters was evidence enough of that. After returning from the desert, Zero had been ready to go back to the barracks with the rank and file, as he had done when first joining the Resistance, but Ciel insisted. Apparently, she had been saving a place for him. He had not done a great deal with it, or much of a miniscule deal, either. It remained basically as it was given to him – bare walls, a sleeping cot and a desk next to it. Zero had no personal possessions to put on display, and he was not one to gather knick-knacks solely for decorating purposes. There were no means of procuring such things anyway.

The sole exception to this scarce landscape was a picture given to him by Alouette, sitting in a frame on the table next to his cot. It featured Zero, Ciel and Alouette, drawn sometime after his first battle with Copy X and given to him as a 'housewarming' present when he came back. When she gave it to him, the reploid had expected it to be nothing more than the crayon stick figures usually produced by children. Instead, there was a surprising amount of detail on display. All three were clearly recognizable and showed proper depth and proportion. A perpetual reminder that there was more to the little girl than what showed on the surface, Zero found that he treasured it a great deal more than he thought he would.

His armor now in place, weapons by his side, Zero exited the room and walked down the hall towards the elevator. Ciel had asked him to meet her that morning at the supply depot. Colbor was going to give a report on the materials acquired from yesterday's mission and the Resistance leader wanted him there to hear it. Which seemed a little odd – normally Colbor's reports were simply filed and promptly forgotten, since most of it was just number-crunching anyway. Somehow, Zero had the feeling that this meeting had less to do with logging supplies and more to do with the general build up of Neo Arcadian strength. The elevator hit the bottom floor and Zero stepped out, returning the nods of a few soldiers who walked past. Entering the depot, he saw that Ciel and Colbor were already there, though it looked as if Ciel had just barely arrived ahead of him.

"You're here," she said with a smile. "Colbor, whenever you're ready." The goggled reploid nodded in response and began to speak.

"As you're both aware, the increase in Neo Arcadian supply shipments has given us more opportunities to perform raiding operations to procure supplies. Most of the cargo we have recovered from these raids has been standard issue material – E-crystals, preserved food stuffs, spare parts, etc. However, there has been a steady influx of weapons with these latest shipments. Small to medium arms, plasma busters and rifles." Colbor handed Zero the datapad he had been holding, which contained lists of the materials mentioned.

"That doesn't seem too unusual. Those weapons are the standard type fitted for drones." Zero responded as he perused the data.

"That's just it – they're already completely assembled, manufactured for immediate use," Colbor said. Zero frowned.

"Why would Neo Arcadia need fully assembled arms? Pantheons and Generals heave their weapons designed into their body structure." A disturbing thought began to form in his mind.

"There's more," Colbor continued. "In the last two weeks, we've carried out for separate raids, the most recent being the one you performed yesterday. At each of them we've discovered heavy ordnance such as mag cannons, stationary guns and something new." Colbor motioned to a large object covered by a grey tarp. The three walked over to it and after Colbor gave a nod to the workers, the tarp was removed.

The closest thing Zero could compare it to was Fefnir's attack vehicle, which he had to battle when chasing Elpizo across Neo Arcadia. However, this was far more bulky, no doubt due to the increased amount of armor plating. Heavy shielding covered the front, with not so much as a crack to allow in enemy fire. Two large cannons were mounted on either side, but they were slightly smaller than the ones Fefnir had used. They appeared to be the only offensive weapons, with no sign of smaller armaments present. Tank treads covered the three wheels located underneath the bulk of the vehicle, a clear indication that the designers expected firepower to compensate for a lack of maneuverability.

"We've acquired five of them so far. This one and another came from the supply train you raided yesterday," Colbor said, his face becoming progressively grimmer. He then climbed on top of the attack vehicle and opened a hatch.

"Traditionally, weaponry on this scale has the operator built into it. It's both easier and cheaper to produce. This model has a cockpit that uses a sensor grid to relay information to a driver. These things have been designed to be operated by someone who would want to get in and out." Colbor finished speaking and climbed back down to stand next to Zero and Ciel.

"Last night, Hirondelle delivered his weekly intelligence report," Ciel said. "While they haven't been able to get close enough to confirm, his pilots have reported vehicles with descriptions matching these located just outside the Neo Arcadian perimeter." Zero folded his arms.

"I can think of two explanations. Either Neo Arcadia has conscripted the remaining reploids they have within their territory or…" he paused for a second and all three exchanged glances.

"Neo Arcadia plans to send humans into combat."

There was another pause as the full implications of that statement made themselves known to the three. Colbor grimaced, Ciel frowned and Zero's face was as stone.

"What is Weil thinking?" Colbor asked. "He knows that humans can't match reploids in combat, even if our troops aren't designed for fighting."

"Most likely he's using this as a way to escalate the war effort. So far, it's only been reploids fighting reploids. Once he gets humans involved, he changes the conflict to one he can more easily use against us."

"Ciel's right," Zero said. "When he sends out images of reploids killing humans, it's only going to further embitter Neo Arcadia against us."

"Are we going to engage humans, Ms. Ciel?" Colbor asked the scientist. "I know you won't want us to, but my troops need to be able to defend themselves when under fire." Ciel closed her eyes for a moment before answering.

"You're right when you say I don't want us to. Too many have died already and this just means the battles are going to get bloodier and the war is going to last longer. But we do need to defend ourselves. Yes, your troops have full authorization to engage any human combatants."

"Thank you, Ms. Ciel."

"There's going to be a command meeting at 1400 hours to discuss these recent developments. I'll see you there."

"Yes, Ms. Ciel." Colbor saluted and returned to his duties, leaving Zero and Ciel alone.

"We'll survive this, Ciel. Don't worry."

"I know, but so many others won't. Zero, why is it that just when things seem like they might get better, they actually get worse? After what happened with Elpizo, it looked like Neo Arcadia would finally recognize our right to exist and end the fighting. Now, things are just as bad as ever. I wish…I just wish the death would stop."

"It will Ciel, eventually." Zero said. She gave a weak smile in response to his reassurance.

"Thanks. And I'm sorry for whining like that – it's not going to solve anything and you have better things to do than listen to my whimpering."

"You shouldn't feel ashamed of having a heart. That's the reason these reploids follow you – they know you care about each and every one of them. Just believe in yourself."

Ciel let out a small laugh.

"You keep saying that, despite the fact that I never listen. Thank you."

It was at that moment the two realized how close they were, almost touching. They shared an awkward moment before Zero spoke.

"I should go. Cerveau wanted me to stop by his lab this morning. I'll see you at the meeting."

"Right," Ciel acknowledged.

Perhaps quicker than he normally would have, Zero turned back down the corridor and headed in the direction of the elevator. He muttered something audible only to himself and focused his attention back onto the matter of Neo Arcadia and its sudden shift in tactics. It seemed unlike Weil to try something like this. Granted, Zero did not know much about the man, but he seemed perfectly content to throw the usual batch of reploids and drones at the Resistance. Could something have changed? Did it have something to do with the lockdown in Neo Arcadia? Stepping into the elevator, Zero was sure of one thing – Weil was not the type to keep secrets very long. Once he felt secure, the madman was sure to explain his reasoning in one long moment of gloating. What concerned the reploid more was his new position, and the lack of empathy he felt.

As a Maverick Hunter, he had fought with everything he had to keep humanity safe. In all his years of existence, he had never been placed in a situation where he was forced to take a human life. Now, it was likely that he would take a number of human lives. Outside of heavily armored vehicles, there was simply no way for a human to come close to harming him in direct combat. Part of him recognized that this would probably make any further missions easier due to the fact that he could deal with human guards easier than Pantheons, and they were less likely to still come after him when partially damaged.

Exiting the elevator, it struck Zero that he did not truly feel any great reluctance to kill the race he had previously sworn an oath to protect. Thinking it over, examining it, analyzing it, he saw no difference between human attackers and any Maverick. His thoughts drifted back to the Repliforce, or what he remembered of it. They had been unjustly accused of being Mavericks, yet he had hunted them anyway. That war had cost him someone very dear – Iris. He had fought and killed her…brother? Father? No, it had been her brother, Zero felt sure of that. In her grief, she had tried to take revenge, forcing him to kill her as well. The reploid idly wondered what X would have to say about all of this.

It did not take long to walk to Cerveau's lab. Zero could have made his way blindfolded, he had been there often enough. Entering, he saw the scientist huddled over his workbench, examining his latest piece of equipment, as usual. Zero gave a discrete cough, prompting the visored scientist to look up and see who had broken his concentration.

"Ah, Zero, there you are. I've been waiting for you."

Cerveau got up and walked over to another worktable, which had two items placed at the center of it. He picked them up and handed one to the red warrior.

"I've finished repairing your shield boomerang. Again. Honestly, would it be so hard for you to keep your tools in better condition? These custom pieces take quite a bit of time to repair."

Zero took the shield boomerang, but said nothing. Cerveau had voiced his frustrations (and several variations thereof) many times since the two first met. It was just easier to simply let him speak his piece and then move on to other things.

"The recoil rod was completely destroyed during your fight with Omega. I tried to construct another from scratch, but the materials for such a project have been lacking lately, so I thought it would be more productive to repair a previous item." Cerveau then handed Zero the other item he had been holding.

"Like the recoil rod, the triple rod was completely destroyed. But, the chain rod is a different story. Somehow, you managed to simply short out the energy shell. Still more than enough to put it out of commission, but it's always easier to fix something instead of rebuilding it completely."

The scientist handed Zero the rebuilt chain rod, and the crimson hunter looked ready to try it out when Cerveau quickly stopped him.

"Please don't test that in here. I have more than enough repair work to do already, even with Doight's help."

Zero gave a slight shrug and fitted the weapon to his right gauntlet.

"I increased its length and durability. You can now use it as a spear, should the need arise. Just press down on the primary controls to do so. I only ask that you try to keep it in one piece this time."

"No promises, but thanks." Zero responded.

There was an expression on the scientist's face which suggested that he hid not feel a great deal of reassurance from Zero's statement. Rather than press the issue in search of a promise that would probably become broken, Cerveau decided to switch topics.

"This morning I received a message from Ciel, stating that there's a meeting at 1400 hours. Has something happened?"

"Yeah," Zero said. "It looks like Neo Arcadia has-"

He was cut off by the arrival of Doight, the elder reploid looking as though he was in a hurry to announce that the sky was starting to fall.

"Cerveau, you'd better come take a look at this! Oh, Zero, you're here too! You'll want to hear this as well!"

"What is it?" Zero asked.

"There's a transmission coming in from Neo Arcadia, and it's on all the broadcast frequencies."

"It appears the lockdown is over," Cerveau said as the three made their way to Command and Control. A large number of reploids were already there, watching the large monitor intently.

"What is going on?" Cerveau asked aloud to no one in particular.

"Weil just announced he was stepping down as leader of Neo Arcadia!" a trooper responded.

"Shh!" another trooper scolded, and everyone present fixed their eyes to the images presented to them on the screen….

000

….not made this decision lightly." Weil said, standing behind a podium located on the steps in front of the Councilor's Hall.

"Yet, it has become clear to me even in the relatively short amount of time I have spent in this position that the responsibilities and obligations of the office you have so graciously bestowed upon me are beyond my abilities to effectively meet. I assure all of you that this has not been a decision made lightly, or on the spur of the moment. A great deal of thought and consideration has been made regarding my decision, and I have chosen the best of the options available to me. However, I do not intend to leave Neo Arcadia directionless, without a firm and steady hand to guide it on its way. Therefore, I have the distinction of being the first to introduce you to the new leader of Neo Arcadia, Master General Harlan Abram Drake!"

The man who walked up to the podium showed no hint of hesitation or anxiety. Instead, there was a controlled, commanding presence. Only a brief hint of emotion was present when the general took the position Weil had previously occupied. It was there for less than a second, but for those who looked carefully, an expression akin to a hungry predator ready to devour its prey could be seen.

"Brethren of Neo Arcadia, it honors me to have this great trust placed in my hands at such a critical hour. For this is a dangerous time that our nation faces. Over two months ago, we all watched with horror as our founder, our protector, our leader, Master X, was brutally murdered by the Resistance during one of their continued attempts to destabilize and ultimately destroy our home. Like all of you, I watched helplessly as the assassin cut away at our leader, damaging his systems beyond the point of repair. The image of our proud protector, valiantly standing against his malicious enemy, was a moving experience for me and I feel sure that all of you would say the same. To be bound by a monitor with the shining beacon of heroism that time after time again protected us from all the evils in this world, to see that pre-eminent example of the ideal for which we all strive, was something I shall never forget should I live to see the ending of the world. For it is not something that should be forgotten, not by those who cherish notions of peace, freedom, and justice. The fate of our great leader was a great alarm for the strong people of Neo Arcadia.

I do not know how many people are listening to me at this moment from the comfort of their homes, but I wish to relay a message to each and every person living in this blessed land. This message comes from the innermost area of my soul and I fervently hope that it will receive a welcome from the innermost area of yours. It is a message burdened by the weight of the struggle that comes before us, but one that also is carried by the open and honest intentions of a man who dearly wishes for nothing less than the best for the people he has sworn to defend and protect, even at the cost of his life. I know, deep within my heart of hearts, that X would expect no less from me, and I do not intend to dishonor his memory by failing to uphold my obligations to you, the people.

Since its conception during the darkest days of the Maverick Wars, Neo Arcadia has acted to master the many crises that it faced and ultimately overcame. When faced by a threat, we have moved decisively to combat it. Never have we buried our heads in the sand in the vain hope that danger will simply pass us by. We are a people courageous enough to stare danger in the eye, see what it is capable of, and then act decisively to combat it with our heads held high. I truly believe that we, as a people, are never as strong as when the enemy is at our wall, thinking us to be weak, for that is when we rise to the occasion, proving our superiority. For there is an enemy waiting for us, constantly testing us, searching for even the slightest sign of weakness, which will be a sign for it to strike.

We must therefore be resolved never to relent in our righteous cause to create a better world for future generations. We must be willing to make the necessary sacrifices that the leadership demands of us. There is a crisis before us, one that overshadows all previous human and historical experience. The combined might of the Neo Arcadian Army is now the only thing that stands between us and the eternal night of the Mavericks. We shall cry out in one voice that will forever warn any invader against the fallacy of harming the people of Neo Arcadia. This cry shall ring out over the lands, across the seas, and into the air as the sound of a people that will never give up, never surrender. It shall drown out the blood-lusted battle cries of the Mavericks, and echo throughout the very halls of eternity as a sign that Neo Arcadia- that _humanity_-shall not be ground into the dust and forced into slavery and chaos.

It is true that the capabilities of the Mavericks have been underestimated, as a result of broad concealment and misleading action. They have proven to be an insidious foe, one that cannily adapts to its surroundings, using the tactics of cowards and assassins. They have recovered a war machine from the height of the Maverick Wars, and used it to carry out their own vile intentions. Do not be fooled by the lies they hope to divide us with – it is no legendary hero fighting for them, merely a synthetic mockery of life itself.

I now make these proclamations for all to hear:

First: The Neo Arcadian Army, and the Neo Arcadian people have the strength to defend themselves from this threat. We have the most powerful army in history, and our people have the strength of will necessary to keep that army functioning until victory is achieved.

Second: The Mavericks will stop at nothing to see our society torn asunder and so we must therefore hold to everything that makes us a people. Our leaders, our institutions, our way of life must be defended against any who would wish them weakened, dismantled and ultimately destroyed.

Finally: We must act quickly and decisively to seize the initiative and thus, victory. Construction has already begun on a series of bases which, once operational, will allow us to finally deal the Mavericks a mortal blow from which they will never recover. We shall then see the dawn of a new age, one free from the shadow of the Mavericks, where we shall all take our place as the pre-eminent power on the face of the globe. Never forget that this is Neo Arcadia, the beacon, the hope, the city set upon a hill and that we will prevail!"

The crowd assembled around the council hall broke into cheers and applause, the sounds of which could be heard throughout the city. The people had been entranced by his every word, ready and eager for a sign that things would be alright, that their enemies would be punished. Neige would have been impressed with the way the General had manipulated the crowd, played on their pride and insecurities, had she not been a part of the cheering masses herself. The General stepped back from the podium and walked up the steps into the council hall, flanked by Weil and one other, though he would intermittently turn to the crowd to wave and shake his fist in triumph, a gesture that many of the people imitated. Realizing that a golden opportunity was about to slip through her fingers, Neige detached herself from the crowd and ran up the steps after him, only to find her way blocked by a familiar face.

"Craft!"

"The General has already made his statement for the day. Any questions will have to wait. Unless you want to try the Information Bureau, that is," Craft said in his 'official' tone of voice.

"Hmph, typical. Well, at least now I know why you skipped out early. 'Official business' alright."

"I said that you only needed to wait another day. I believe now is when you thank me."

"For…"  
"Giving you a reason to return home, where you wouldn't be picked up by security patrols," Craft answered.

"I hate it when you're right. Fine, 'thank you'. Now, since we're feeling charitable, how about getting me an interview with the General?"

Craft frowned in response.

"I can't do that. The General informed everyone that the Colonel is the only one with authority to bring in outside personnel."

"It's just an interview, Craft, not an interrogation. Wouldn't he want to give the public a look at the man in charge?"

"I have my orders. You know I cannot go against them. I cannot allow personal feelings to override my official duties." Craft did his best not to look at Neige as he said this.

"Oh, really? Then what was last night?" Neige asked as she positioned herself closer to the reploid.

"That…was completely personal," Craft replied, very aware of the dangerous territory the conversation had just entered.

"Typical Craft," Neige said with a wry smile. "Well, if I can't get an interview with the Master General, how about a personal one-on-one with another high-ranking officer?"

"I doubt that any of the Guardians would consent to an interview, either," Craft said.

"I meant you, lunkhead." Neige responded in a slightly amused tone.

"Oh. Tonight?"

"Unless you have something you'd rather be doing?" Neige asked in a familiar teasing fashion.

"Er, uh, no." Craft stammered, feeling flustered. Why was she capable of doing this to him?

"Great. I'll see you at seven. My place. I'm sure you remember how to get there." She gave a brief wink after speaking and descended back down the steps, leaving a rather confused reploid in her wake.

This was a development he had not expected, or even particularly wanted. Well, maybe he had wanted it, considering how often he thought of her during their time apart. The Lieutenant definitely had not expected things to go the way they did when he brought her home last night. He had walked her up to her apartment, the two going back and forth like old times, and then she had invited him in for some further catching up. And he had accepted. And then he realized it was several hours later, after daybreak, and a familiar warm body was lying next to him on a bed.

Craft shook his head, trying to make some sense of it. When they had parted ways before, it was a mutual recognition of the separate lives the two were going to lead, albeit with a fair amount of shouting included in all verbal exchanges. Now they had fallen back into their old pattern, as if nothing unpleasant had ever passed between them. Had he been intelligent, that morning the two would have talked about why a relationship between the two of them was unlikely to work. However, Craft knew from experience that being around Neige caused his cranial nodes to misfire, leading to all sorts of impulsive decisions, the kind he would not make with a clear head. The reploid let out a sigh and walked towards the council building. He wouldn't have her any other way.

Meanwhile, a conversation of a rather different type was about to take place in the Council Hall. Weil had entered the vaunted building along with two others: General Drake and the Colonel he kept close to him at all times. There, away from the eyes and ears of the cattle that composed Neo Arcadia's human population, the once exile from and former leader of the city-state felt it was finally safe to speak in a more casual manner.

"You've really managed to whip those fools into a frenzy. I suppose some congratulations are in order." Weil said.

"All I have done is remind them of their own valued notions of glory and supremacy. Such things should not be forgotten, as they are the very foundation upon which all else is built." Drake responded, not actually looking at the scientist while the three walked across the main room.

"Don't tell me you actually believe the tripe you fed to that rabble. I thought you possessed some intelligence."

The three had entered a private elevator on the far side of the main hall before Drake decided to answer. His back was to the scientist the entire time he spoke.

"Belief is what drives us, sustains us. It is what this city is founded on and gave it strength, despite corrupting influences. The reason you were exiled was because you did not believe in anything."

"And I thought I was exiled because no one would recognize my right to rule and I used Omega to show them otherwise. Perhaps I should double-check my records of the events."

The elevator had finally come to a stop several levels below the surface. The doors opened to reveal a gigantic laboratory, housed in a circular room with a construction area located in the middle. The rest of the lab contained numerous computers with unceasing streams of data flowing across their monitors.

"Even after all this time, you do not understand," Drake said, his back still to Weil. "When Neo Arcadia crushes the Resistance, it will be because the people _believed_ in crushing them. I shall act as their hand, delivering swift justice and rightful retribution. And the people shall love me for it, as I will have finally brought peace."  
"Oh, please. Just tell them to serve you or die. That's how I planned to run things. Much simpler and easier, not to mention more fun."

Drake had stopped walking, and instead stopped to look down from the balcony the three were standing on. Technicians hurried to and fro, all of them wearing the uniform of the Neo Arcadian Defense Corps. He made a slight motion of his head, almost imperceptible save for who intimately knew what to look for. The Colonel pressed a switch on a small pad she carried, causing Weil to fall to his knees in pain, unable to move or even make a sound, his pain was so great. This torment continued for a few minutes until the General made another motion of his head, a signal to the Colonel. She depressed another button on the pad, allowing the doctor a respite from the agony. He was still on his knees, lacking the strength to get up. Weil barely registered the fact that Drake was speaking to him.

"Your time has passed. A new morning has begun in Neo Arcadia, the start of a day that shall never end. Relics such as yourself now exist only to facilitate the coming of this new era. Any personal thoughts or feelings you might have are irrelevant. You shall remain intact and whole only so long as you show yourself to be an asset this land can use. Should you forget this mandate, Colonel Saint shall remind you. Now, return to your duties." Drake never moved from his position the entire time he spoke. Saint was next to him, her eyes never leaving the fallen doctor.

"Oh, of course," Weil responded, and finally managed to get to his feet. Slightly wobbly, he made his way to the nearby staircase, gripping the railing to keep his balance. Once he was out of her line of sight, the Colonel turned to line herself up with the General, both observing the constant motion below them.


End file.
